“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17 ESV -Are you in a time in your life where the people around you are challenging what you know and what you believe? -Do you ever wonder why these people are in your life and why they are so influential? -God places people in our lives to sharpen our skills. -Too often we push away those who are trying to make us better people. - We need to work very hard to see the people in our lives as opportunities to learn from them. -We can't hide ourselves from community because community helps to develop our faith and sharpen our skills. -who is in your life that can speak into your life and help you develop your faith? -who do you have in your life that you can speak into and help them develop?
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My New Year’s Resolution:
I was born on October 7, 1987. I was born with many complications and a blood clot in the right side of the brain. On the day that I was born, I was operated on to remove the blood clot. At the same time, I was very under weight. I couldn’t actually be sent home from the hospital until I reached a weight that the hospital felt was safe. Ever since I can remember I have been told that I was a miracle baby. Trust me; I am not saying this to get sympathy. I am simply informing the reader of the circumstances of my birth. Over the years I have realized that I use this time as an opportunity to reflect on who I am. I reflect on what I’ve done. Lastly, I reflect on who I want to become. While most people reflect on their life in the moments between December and January, I tend to reflect on the actual day of my birth. This year, a few days before my birthday, I began to reflect. My mind began searching through the catacombs of memories over the last twelve months. I began to ask myself a multiplicity of questions:
This past year I have been through my own trials and tribulations and my true friends stood by my side, coaching me through the entire ordeal. I am very thankful for that. With that being said, I find that I often isolate myself from the idea of furthering my friendships with people. I realize that I can always work harder at being a better friend. This could happen in selection of ways; I could leap out of my comfort zone and meet new people, expanding my knowledge of people. This could allow me to learn to love more. Secondly, I could strengthen my relationships with the friends that I have. I could make a stronger connection with them by making a valiant effort to bond.
I often find myself looking through my memories and seeing a collection of opportunities that I refused to take advantage. Opportunities such as: dating, new job positions, new ministry outreaches, new books to read, new music to listen to, and rebuilding broken relationships. The older I get the more I look back and see the opportunities that have passed on. Although I could dwell in the past, it is more constructive to look at the opportunities ahead of me. Opportunities such as: dating, new job positions, new ministry outreaches, new books to read, new music to listen to, and rebuilding broken relationships, and so many more new ones.
What is wrong with being passionate about something? When you find something, or someone, that you love you find yourself doing whatever it takes to share that passion with the world. Over the years, I have realized that I carry passion in the furthest part of my heart. Yet, I am unable to share it with those around me. I have learned to share my passion and speak my passion to the world around me. Now, I must strengthen that ability and unashamedly share my passion with people, places, and things.
This goal can be reached in a multitude of different ways: it could something as simple as a small act of kindness, such as, a compliment. I could improve on this goal by keeping my eyes open for opportunities to serve people or help them with a task, or I could sincerely tell them their importance to me. I could improve on this goal by being very intentional about the activities that I engage in with certain people; along with that, I need to ensure that I am genuinely interested in what my friends say and do.
As an individual, I realize that I also need to keep growing. If you just stick with the same movies and other forms of entertainment then you soon find yourself trapped in a perpetual cycle of the mundane and boredom. I realize that it is in my best interest to continue to grow as a teacher, a son, a brother and as a person in general. Now, I don’t need to try to fit into every box that surrounds me, yet it is health to always try new interests. Reactions to Losing Friends:
Years have passed and with every moment that has gone by, I always try to answer the same question: Why does it seem that all of my friends eventually leave me? Over the timeline of nearly 29 years, I have met many people and I’ve lost just as many. I have spent countless hours questioning my ability to make and maintain friendship, even to the point of wondering if building these relationships were even worth the pain that it eventually caused. I discovered that there are usually three reasons why a friendship doesn’t last and then there are our reactions that produced from the situation. We outgrow each other- When we first meet new people and we create a connection we tend to build a relationship around that activity or interest. For example, we often bond over bands or musicians that we like; or we bond over sports. Too often, we begin to grow up and too often we out grow certain relationships. There is nothing wrong with this at all. To be honest, it’s natural. As we get older our interests transform and change. Due to that fact, we often become distant from those that we were once close to. Our busy schedules- As we grow from children to adolescence to adults we naturally become busier. We turn our interests into our hobbies and if we are really lucky; our hobbies become our careers, but often that means that we have less time to spend with family, friends and loved ones. The way that we prioritize our times around our careers, our spouses, kids and then our extracurricular activities; it makes it difficult to keep in touch with everyone. In Lieu to this, we often loose friends that we once had. This is not bad, neither; it is a part of life. This particular category is interesting due to the fact that you are still friends with that person, yet the truth is both went their separate ways. If you were able to, and willing to, you could always contact the individual and re-connect with the one-time friend. The fall out- When we don’t lose our friends from outgrowing interests, too often we lose our friends from an argument or a disagreement. At times we throw away a friendship or a bond because the two parties are unable to put their differences aside and come to an agreement. It seems as if this is the worst category to lose a friend to because it is the most difficult one to come back from. Naturally we, as humans, have a difficult time seeing and understanding the point of view of those that we disagree with. As the lessons are learned, growth is able to take place. However, growth only takes place when we see the opportunity to grow and we react accordingly. It is only through our reactions that we are able to fully understand the effect that takes place in our lives. Reaction: Anytime that you lose a friend, for any reason, it leaves a void in our hearts and in our lives. We often deal with it in a variety of ways. Some of them are healthy and productive and some of them are not. Sadness- Often times we feel sadness or even depressed because we feel like we have lost a major part of ourselves. We feel like we can’t breathe without sharp pain piercing our hearts. This sadness could last a short period of time with a quick recovery time or it could last months, making it more difficult to fully recover. Acceptance- While one of the parties may not be happy about the distance, they both still must to acceptance that they are separated. They must learn to live without each other and still function. We must continue living. The further I think through these categories and our reactions, the further down the rabbit hole I find myself. I get a question answered and I soon find another to answer. As I gain an understanding of the first level, I discover the second level; my journey continues. After we identify our reason for the separation, and we react to the situation we are with one next level: What is this situation teaching us? Remember the good times- When we begin to move on and recover from losing our best friend, we still carry with us the memories that we created over our time together. If the relationship ended on a falling out, it is easy only remember the difficult times or the person’s faults throughout your time together. However, we must remember the great things that bonded us in the first place. While we need to remember the good times, these good times should not overtake the reason why the relationship didn’t work. If the relationship was unhealthy for one or both parties involved, then it was for the best that the relationship fell apart. In the end, when you are able to remember the good aspects of the relationship, you are able to let go of the negative effect that the relationships filled you with, which is healthier for you and the other person involved. Holding on to bitterness doesn’t hurt anyone except the one holding on to it. Don’t be afraid to keep trying- As the years go by and we lose friends and we meet new people, creating new bonds, we learn one thing: there are plenty of great people to meet and bond with throughout the years. Although, if we allow our broken relationships to destroy or adventurous spirit to meet new people; we will never get the chance to grow in this way. We must keep growing and learning about the world around us and the best way to do that is through relationships: Meeting new people! Each person is important and each person has something to offer. Even though we want to give us and throw in the towel, we can’t give up! Get up, get out there and build bonds with the world!
A lesson in Acceptance
This last week was very basic to be completely honest. There wasn’t much to talk about. The class has had a few struggles with basic instructions, things such as how to stand in line and many times keeping from talking at inappropriate times. The major lesson that the class had the opportunity to learn was the importance of accepting people and respecting them. Early in the week I had a student approach me claiming that many students were calling her by the wrong name. The student was very upset and uncomfortable with the students’ behavior. I approached the class and I mentioned it subtly, leaving the student’s name out of the conversation; so that she wouldn’t feel more uncomfortable. The problem was not resolved, actually in some ways it may have gotten worst. On a few occasions I noticed that when the student would walk around the classroom, a few of the students would whisper the incorrect name under their breaths, making her even more uncomfortable. I felt horrible! Once again, I approached the class and reminded the students of the last conversation that we had and the agreement that we came up with. The agreement didn’t hold! I decided that I would approach the class again, but this time I asked the student to share her feelings of what the class was doing. Before I had the student share, I spoke to the class while the student was out of the room. This time I used the student’s name and explained that she feels uncomfortable in the classroom. I also expressed by disappointment in the fact that my classroom has become an uncomfortable place for some students. I felt the hearts of many students drop to their stomachs. They knew they needed to apologize. At the next chance that I got, I asked the student to speak to the class. She shared her feelings to the class. She was so brave! I think it made her feel better! After she shared her feelings, the class apologized. There were even some of the boys that explained that meaning of the name that they were calling her. In a few words, the boys had noticed that this student had the same name as a celebrity and they explained that by calling her that name I was their way of calling her a superstar because they saw that particular celebrity as a superstar. This is a lesson many of us need to learn when it comes to dealing with different people. When it comes to our differences, we should accept them and learn to celebrate them instead of putting each other down for the differences.
Teacher’s Diary: The first three weeks
It’s July 25, 2016. It is the start of a new school year. I have taken a fifth grade position at a brand new school in Phoenix, AZ. I have been in trainings and meetings for this new school district for the last week. Am I prepared for what is in store for me yet? I have just completed my first three weeks at a new school. So, far the experience has been a great one. I think I may be actually getting a grip on myself in this role. I feel like I am finally getting the hang of teaching and protecting students and showing them love and kindness as well as a firm belief. I guess sometimes it takes a while to find your place. Man, I hope I’ve found it. Week One: The First week of the school year started on a Wednesday. We were actually told not to begin any academics that week due to the fact that it was a short week. Plus, we wanted the students to get comfortable in the classroom. This means that we did a lot of “Get to know you” activities where the students answer questionnaires, and participate in activities that involve being out your seat and meeting the strangers around you. One the First day of school I wore a red cape that the librarian loaned me and a multicolored mask that I created with the school staff the week prior. It seemed that one action helped make the students feel more comfortable as they entered into the new school. Students would walk in with a shocked look in their face, unsure if they were in the right room. Parents probably questioned my teaching credentials, yet they were also very amused by the uncommon ice breaker. I spent the first three days just explaining and going over routines, procedures, and expectations. I also took the opportunity to get to know the students and allow the students’ time to get to know each other, due to the fact that this is a brand new facility. Week Two: The students are beginning to break out of their shells; slowly, but surely. They are beginning to talk more; many are beginning to test the rules and the teacher’s responses. Obviously I expected this behavior sooner than later. Anytime you put new people in a new environment there will be some individuals that are looking to find the boundaries and try to push them to their furthest extent. We, as in the fifth grade team, started creating lesson plans as well. Up until this point any academic movement in the classroom was at the hands of the individual teacher. Personally, I was only working on review materials from fourth grade to ease the students into the work expectations and the amount of work that we would be doing. On Thursday night I stayed with my team and worked on a folder for a substitute as well as lesson plans for the next week. We were there until eight pm! The substitute folder was meant to go to the office for just such an incident where the teacher was absent and unable to prepare for the substitute. The lesson plans also took a long time due to the fact that the format that we were using was new to us and we had to learn it in order to properly use it. Week Three: Everyday I begin the morning with preparing for the students: I print out and copy paper and set up power points and set up our points chart. I also pray for myself and the students before they show up. Setting up this routine is going to be critical to the success of this school year. If I slack in the area of preparation and prayer than my school year will be so much more difficult that it should be. (Believe me, I know.) I pray for the class because I want to students to be impacted in more than just an academic way. I want them to realize that they are loved and cared for and that they are important to me, the parents, and most importantly God. It was a pretty average week; the students tested limits, looking for an accurate response from the teacher while some students were given classroom jobs and tasks to perform, nothing special. We finally began diving into the academic aspect of the classroom and I must say it has been a success. On Wednesday of this week a student came up to me and asked if she could write one the board. I automatically said, “No.” She asked again. I said, “No.” She quickly explained that it was something for me. So, of course I said, “Yes.” “Mr. G, you are the best teacher. Keep on teaching, please.” The board read as I starred at it at the end of the day. It felt great! We hadn’t been in school long, but it’s good to know that I’m helping a student learn. It felt great to be in an atmosphere where students value their teachers and have respect for them. It felt great to have that beginning feeling of belonging. My motivation is to work harder. My motivation is to try more. My motivation is to keep a smile on my face and also to put a smile on theirs. LET’S KEEP ROCKING! In the world that we live in there are so many people that feel as if they are unable to fulfill their dreams. In the culture that we live in we are told that we can fulfill our dreams, but too often the steps seem too daunting and impossible to overcome. We tell our children and the upcoming generation that they can achieve anything, but unfortunately through our actions we show them that we don't believe in our own dreams enough to make them a reality.
Over the summer break I was able to take a trip to Disneyland, which is honestly a place that reminds me that it ok to believe in the impossible and to create an environment that allows you to fulfill your wildest dream. Every time I walk down Main Street my observations go into hyper drive. The amazing format of the park; seeing the iconic castle in the distance, along with the large Matterhorn maintain. As I tour through the park I am always overwhelmed by the amount of imagination, extensive planning and execution of said plan it took to create this momentous dream. I love walking through the streets of Disneyland due to the simple revelation that it is possible to achieve the impossible. In other words; dreams do come true! While many times we are told that you only have to wish upon a star for your dreams to come true, we quickly learn as we get older that it takes hard work and a lot of planning in order to reach and achieve our shows. As I walk though the glorious park that was created by Walt Disney, I continuously think of the most common steps that are taken when striving to succeed at our dream. I have recently comprised a list that influences me to keep fighting for my dreams. 1.) Know your Dream- Many times we strive for greatness in our lives, but rarely do we even fully know their dreams well enough to effectively chase and fulfill their dream. When we dream about our future, we don't fully meditate and allow the dream to fully blossom in our minds and in our hearts. I have soon realized when we neglect the growth and development of our dream we don't fully understand our dream therefore we can effectively create a plan that will help us chase our dream. 2.) Make a Plan- What good is it to dream about the future and create a scenario in of the desired outcome in our mind if we never intent to develop a plan that will begin to set the foundation for the fulfillment of that dream? None! If we have a desired outcome, we must be willing to create a plan that we will actually follow in order to reach our fullest potential. I can speak from experience when I tell you that thought without action are futile and ultimately ineffective. As our plan begins to open and expand before our eyes, we must fight the fear that often follows. When we finally decide to sit down and create our master plan that will lead us to fulfilling our dream, we must also remember to dream BIG! I am constantly reminded of this as I stroll through the made up universe that is Disneyland. I am reminded that Walt Disney did not minimize or resize his dreams in order to fit into an already determined box size. It is as though he did the complete opposite: he created a world that fully encompassed all that resided in his dream. If there was something that he wanted to achieve, he didn't just rely on the current day’s technology, he created and developed his own in order to see his true vision come to life. It is okay to dream big. It is even okay to not compromise your creativity to try to fit into another's box. I believe that there are a few authentic reasons as to why we decide not to follow a designed plan that will fulfill our dreams: 2.1) We plan too much- When we create our plan we think too big or too broad. While it is important to dream big, sometimes it hinders our growth when we try to bit off more than we can chew (figuratively speaking). It is great to plan, but I think it is more beneficial to make a series of smaller goals to reach as your grow your dream and develop the plan. As you reach one goal, another will quickly take it's place. 2.2) We believe our dream is unattainable- As we meditate through our dreams and begin to create our master plan, fear begins to whisper into our ears, trying to convince us that no matter how hard to work or try, we will never success in the plan that we have recently developed. In order to combat this, we need to fight through our insecurities and our fears and we need to continue to chase our dream through the plan that we develop through high meditation and precise choices. 3.) Be Positive- In times of desperation and dream chasing, there is one element that makes all other elements possible; that is being positive. When you are positive about your passion and the dream that you are trying to fulfill you must be positive that your hard work and dedication will lead you through the difficult times. As you develop your dreams and create the plan to bring it to life, you will discover that you need to think and act in a positive manner in order to fully achieve the dream that you so desire. The best way to ensure that you achieve your dream is surround yourself with a strong team that will dream with you. These are usually people that you trust and that dream just as big as you do. So, essentially you are taking the positive attitude that you carry and spreading it like an infectious disease through you team. When you have a team that will carry the same level of positivity and desire to work tirelessly for this mega-sized dream, which is an unstoppable combination that has a greater chance at success. 4.) Share your talents- While on one hand, being positive is one element that keeps all of the other elements of dream catching in motion; on the opposite hand deciding not to share your talents and dreams can easily be the most destructive routes for your dream. I believe this step alone kills more dreams that any other. Due to the fact that fear often prevents us from sharing the talents that we have out of trepidation of the opinions of others, many awesome dreams go unfulfilled and left in the Garden of Possibility to wither and die, One of the benefits of sharing your talents and your dreams with those who care is that they will keep you accountable for chasing that particular dream. That means that they know the initial dream and they also know the scale of the size that you are looking to achieve. With that trusted relationship in place, you are free to build a team that will help develop and fulfill that dream. Also, that trusted friend even has the outsider's look at our laziness that prevents us from reaching the potential of what the dream could be. In light of the fact that the accountability has been established, the trusted friend can motivate you to keep pushing forward until the dream begins to take root and grow fruit. 5.) Keep Dreaming- Through hard work, dedication and support you will soon find yourself achieving various levels of success. As you achieve your dreams and reach a goal there should be another goal in the wake, waiting to be reached. I hope your success would not cause you to decide to plateau, but it would allow your creativity to work even harder so that you can strive to go further with your dreams. I believe this step is pivotal in finding continued success. It would be a disservice in your initial dream if you didn't expand it and allow it grow; at the same time still keeping its initial mission in mind. As we relate this to the Walt Disney and the magic of Disneyland, it is often said, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” A Moment of Real Talk-Now, It's time to step out of the article and step foot into my own mindset for just a moment. This is not a "Know-it-all" type of article that expresses my overbearing knowledge of a particular subject to uneducated people. That is not the intention at all. I can speak with one hundred percent honesty and confidence that I have not succeeded in these steps. I hope to! The true intention of this article is a pep talk; it's a pep talk to me. Everything that I am mentioning is all the areas that I fail at more often than I succeed. Too often I give up on myself and my dreams and my desires. Yet, every time I step foot into the magic of Disneyland all of these lessons come pouring right back into my barely beating heart. So, I write to myself, trying to keep myself encouraged and dreaming and pushing towards those dreams. No one achieves their dreams by waiting for them to "Just happen". No one achieves greatest on accident. No one changes the world without intentionally working their fingers to the bone and becoming a student of their craft. So, get up; start dreaming, make a plan starting writing, share your talents with the world, be positive of the impact that you want to make. Lastly, no matter how difficult it gets or how many challenging obstacles you face, for the love of God keep dreaming. In the world we live in today it seems that anxiety and depression has been running a muck. No matter where we turn, we encounter people that are overly stressed and anxious about their everyday lives. I am no exception to this circumstance. In my recent time in the depression pit, I found five steps that are very helpful during those difficult times.
1.) Identify the source-Too often our depression or our difficult times are influenced and inflamed from outside sources. These sources could be difficult situations, difficult people or our own thought processes that leads us down a difficult road. In order to fully recover, we have to identify these sources and also identify the negative impact that these sources have on our hearts, our minds and our lives. 2.) Eliminate the source-Once we retrospectively discover what the various sources are to our depression, the next step is to eliminate that source from our life. By eliminating the source to our negative attitude and outlook, the sooner we will be able to heal and begin to lift ourselves out of the depression pit. Some examples of these sources could be the type of people that you associate with and the way that your friends treat you, holding your true feelings of a situation to yourself and not expressing them in a healthy way, and the thought process that you allow to fill our mind and guide your heart. A great biblical resource that expresses this is Hebrews 12:1, which says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." 3.)Look around- As we go through our time of recovery and we begin to eliminate our negative influences, we are then left will an opening for new influencers that can help shape our mood and our attitude. With that opening we should look around and see the various people and places around the world that are leaving a positive imprint on the lives of many. In order for this to take a lasting effect, it must start with the home. Look around your room, your office, your house and decide whether you are surround by images that impact you positively, allowing to carry around a attitude of gratitude. The biblical resource that expresses this is Philippians 4:8, which says, " 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." 4.) Shut your mind off- Another aspect of anxiety and depression is one's thought process. Too often, we do not control the tracks that our train of thought travels. We allow our train of thought to determine what we will feel and the mood that we will carry throughout your day. We lay in our beds and toss and turn, being controlled by would-be-could-be scenarios and worries of our responses to future events. In order to effectively gather ourselves out of the depression pit that we tend to live in, we must gain control over our thought process. The biblical resource that expresses this is 1 Peter 5:7, which says, "6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 5.) Encourage yourself- I have soon come to realize that the statement, "In life your biggest cheerleader has to be yourself" is completely true. I can't expect people to give me support and to cheer me on until I am able to be my own mascot and cheerleader. Too often we look into the mirror and we are instantly discouraged at what we see and who we are. Sometimes this lack of self-esteem comes from what other have said about us and the lies that we are quick to believe about ourselves. Also, our lack of self-esteem may also comes from how we see ourselves and what we think of ourselves. When we have confidence in who we are we should cherish that and express ourselves in a healthy way. Encouraging yourself could be as easy as a pep talk in the mirror before you leave the house for the day to thinking positively about yourself and your abilities throughout the day. Unique program helps women escape streets, transform lives - CNN Unique program helps women escape streets, transform lives - CNN An article by Anthony Giesick Can the history of abuse create a desire in a person that will positively effect the lives of hundreds? Or will that same series of events send that individual down a familiar path, or this time as the abuser? Can a heart of gold be birthed out of a shattered past? These questions could easily plaque the mind as one reads of the abuse that many face daily. Throughout the cities of our man-made society there is often a collection of young ladies that sell their bodies on the streets as a way of life and a way of making a living. What causes these woman to chose this way of life? I believe that it could be multitude of things; such as addiction, the need to eat or feed their own families, or self-worth. With all of the various possible factors, I truly believe that the most common one is that the girls don't feel loved or valued outside of the profession of prostitution. I recently read an article based in Nashville, Tennessee that shared the story of a few of these ladies as they journeyed through their difficult course into recovery. The program entitled "Thistle Farms" was started by Becca Stevens over twenty years ago. The program's was started to give these hurting ladies a place to live and a support group as they deal with their pasts, their addiction, and their losses in family and friends. "None of the women ended up on the streets by themselves. And so it makes sense that it takes a community to welcome them home," said Stevens, who started the program in 1997. Now, there are five residential communities in Nashville that house these ladies and provides them with food, clothing, personal hygiene products and most importantly a community. As the community reached out to the ladies on the streets, the need for helpers and workers become more paramount. Over the years as ladies would graduate out of the program, they would soon be offered a job with the nonprofit business. The million-dollar company now employs 70 people, where two-thirds of the employees are graduates of the program. One of the aspects of the Thistle Farms company is to create bath and body lotions and soaps that are now sold in over 450 stores. This branch of the Thistles Farms company allows the recovering women to have jobs, earn wages and make positive steps for a new and better life. "I love thistles. Some (people) think of them as a noxious weed, and yet they have this beautiful purple and deep center. When we were going down to meet the women on the streets, that was the last wildflower that was there. So it made sense to name our company after it and remind us all that something to be discarded is (also) something to embrace and see beauty in. That's what we're reminding women: They are fully bloomed, wonderful gifts already." Stevens said in an interview posted to CNN.com As it was said by Catrina, a graduate of the program in 2007, in an interview with CNN.com; "They loved me until I could love myself." With a smile on her face one could tell that she was happy with program, but more importantly she was happy with direction change of her life through the program as well as the loving supporting friends that she had made along the way. Restoration is the act of returning something to it's former condition. In order to restore the self-worth of a heart-broken and love deprived person you must first see the value that the person had/has. That is the beauty of a nonprofit organization like Thistle Farms; all of the ladies that are there are loved and cared for. That simple act of showing someone who has lost all hope that they are loved in life changing. That life change will ripple through generations. CNN.com article- http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/us/cnn-hero-becca-stevens/index.html CNN.com video- http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/06/02/cnnheroes-becca-stevens-extra.cnn If you have graduated from anything; high school, college, or any other type of school, then you understand the amount of work that it takes to be a success. I remember my graduation and how amazing I felt knowing that I accomplished a goal in my life that many are unable to achieve. Just last week I stepped foot at my old high school once again, but this time it was to watch my youngest brother graduate. I was very excited. I was so excited I could barely contain myself. But really, why would you want to? I have seen my brother clock in so much time when it came to his school, both in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. It is very exciting to see all of his hard work begin to pay off. Two of my aunts on my dad's side of the family came out to celebrate with us, along with my brother's girlfriend and a few family members of her family. We got together before the graduation to eat and exchange gifts. When the time came, we all got ready and traveled down to the school. Man, it was PACKED! there were so MANY PEOPLE there that we had to stand. I wasn't upset about it though, I was just excited to witness this moment in time. In preparation for the night my sister and I created a congratulations sign that we held up throughout the night. Anytime that my brother walked by us, we would through the sign into the air and hoot and holler in excitement, hoping to get his attention. Of course he ignored us. It was a great night. In order to get a better idea of the night, please watch the video and leave a comment. Forgiveness in the face of fear:
Forgive:
Could you imagine trying to forgive someone who holds you captive and physically abuses you? That seems like it would be nearly impossible. That is the choice that a young New Hampshire girl is facing as her captor pleads guilty to to seven charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault, witness tampering, second-degree assault and criminal threatening. The young girl went missing in October 2013 and was missing for nine months. During that time the missing girl made national news as search crews searched frantically to find her. During the time that the young girl from New Hampshire was missing she underwent severe abuse which left her with wounds around her neck and other parts of the body. Reports also claims that she was also threatened with a gun and that her family would soon become a target. This level of trauma could cause anybody to break, leaving them mentally, emotionally and physically scared. These scars could create a bitter heart than would not heal without effect to the victim. This young girl showed great strength after she was freed from her captor and the guilty party was facing charges. After being freed the courageous girl went to authorities and revealed enough detail to prove the crimes and point all of the evidence to the guilty. "The level of details this victim could remember while she was enduring just unspeakable acts was simply amazing." Prosector Jane Young commented after hearing the young girl's story. With all that, that is not the most courageous thing that this girl from New Hampshire has done: she openly forgave the man who kidnapped her, held her captive for months, and sexually assaulted her. She publicly said to him, "Some people might call you a monster, but I've always looked at you as human." That statement alone is extremely powerful! The whole world would see the captor as a soulless person with a bloodlust, but she was able to keep a compassionate side that saw her predator as a person who is hurting and in need of help. This element of human decency separates her from so many people, which shows the true strength that she has and the strength that she chose to show to the world. She continues by saying, "And I want you to know that even though life became a lot harder after that, but I still forgive you." Even in midst of the most difficult time in her life, the young girl was able to set her pain and anguish aside and extend a heartfelt sign of love. By forgiving her abuser, she shows that love is truly more powerful than revenge or vengeance that stems from bitterness. I applaud the strength and courage of this young lady who expressed compassion to a man that may have physically and mentally damaged her. I truly believe by showing this level of compassion she is healing from the trauma that she faced. When we showed compassion to her abuser she opened up a door of opportunities to him. He could begin to see his true value through her actions, causing him to change his ways. The truth is we don't know the end of this story. We may never know the heart of stone that broke in the abuser's chest as forgiveness was granted to him. We may never know that enteral battle that he fights in his mind as he spends his time in incarceration. We may never know the moment he asks God for forgiveness, giving him a new life in Christ. Forgiveness is a powerful tool for healing. It begins to mend the heart as we deal with the difficult times in our lives. The same forgiveness that heals us inside and out, also heals those that hurt us. When we express forgiveness to our offenders, we are showing them that they are valuable and worthy of love and compassion. Our display of forgiveness can compel the broken-hearted to see their true value, which in time can compel them to be free from their harmful past and can give them the opportunity to choose a different path. With this we must ask: Who do you need to forgive? How are you going to show them that they have been forgiven for what they've done to you? |
Anthony K. GiesickActions are taken everyday that help make this world better and I just want to share them with you. Archives
March 2020
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